Revoluble gate



Sept. 15, 1936. w. J. KENNEDY REVOLUBLE GATE 2 Sheets-Sh ee't 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1955 INVENTQR. l i iffz dm I Kennedy BY lw'r; ATToRxa P 1936- w. J. KENNEDY 2,054,701

REVOLUBLE GATE Filed Sept. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. BY WNzQ-zm I fim/mdy his ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES REVOLUBLE GATE William J. Kennedy, New York, N. Y.

Application September 5,1935, Serial No. 39,205

Claims.

My invention relates in general to revoluble gates and it particularly concerns a revolving passageway of the turnstile type for regulating and counting the number of persons entering or 5 leaving a desired locality, the position of the apparatus being such as to obligate the individuals to pass through the same in order to obtain admittance to, or exit from, said locality. The apparatus, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodying the mechanical form of the invention, is indicated in the character of a gate or revoluble passageway closure, although it will be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be so limited, but may include revoluble entryways or doorways similarly constructed as hereinafter more specifically pointed out.

The primary object of my invention is to construct an apparatus of this nature, which has reciprocally operable horizontal arms controlled from a stationary eccentric point in the device to regulate and determine the degree of extension of the arms therefrom. By reason of this construction, a shorter arm length is required .and it is, consequently, possible to employ the apparatus in a more limited space than would be the case if the customary fixed arm type of turnstile were used. Also, a greater number of such units may be contained within a given width of space.

My invention further contemplates the employment with a revoluble apparatus of this character of a speed controlling mechanism for maintaining the rotating speed of the same below a desired maximum rate. The speed regulator prevents the operation of the device at aspeed,which excessively jars and vibrates the interior working parts of the same.

The invention, also, includes other objects, advantages and novel features of construction and arrangement, hereinafter more particularly referred to, with the detailed description of the same in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the revoluble gate apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention in its preferred mechanical form;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the gate taken on line 2-4, Fig. 1, illustrating the mechanism contained within the lower part of the stationary casing;

,Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the speed regulator mechanism, the cover of the same being removed from position;

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a lan view, slightly reduced in size with regard to Fig. 1, or the interior of the revoluble casing of the apparatus containing the reciprocally movable arms therein;

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the cover plate 5 for the casing illustrated in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view, identical in size to Figs. 5 and 6, of the lower portion or base of the revoluble casing.

The revoluble gate embodying the present inventive concepts, as shown particularly in Fig. 1 is constructed upon a fixed suitably mounted pedest'al indicated at 10 in the drawings. Securely positioned on the pedestal I0 is a base member II from which a stationary central shaft l2 ex- 15 tends in an upwardly direction. A roller bearing I3 is situated around the upper portion of the base member ll above which is located an offset extension from the bottom of a revoluble arm containing casing l5. It will be understood that the casing l5, its integral extension 14 and the parts associated with the same as hereinafter described, freely rotate upon the bearing l3. The shaft l2 extends through an opening in the casing extension I4 to a fixed position within the upper portion of the same as indicated in Fig. 5. To provide an inclosure for the working parts of the apparatus, a circular shaped lower housing member [6 and upper housing member H are employed. The housing members are securely i mounted in any desired manner upon the fixed base member II and are connected together by bolts or otherwise as indicated at H! in the drawmgs.

With particular reference to Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, the preferred construction of the revoluble arm or bar containing casing i5 is illustrated to provide four of such bars or stop arms equidis tantly spaced about its periphery, so that in order to complete one revolution of the apparatus four independent operations of the same are necessary. It will be understood that any reasonable or desired number of such bars may be employed 'as herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention. The casing member I5 is hollow and circular in'shape, the same being mo'v'ably positioned directly over the lower housing It by reason of the offset spacing extension 14, and is further constructed to include p radially extending portions 19, 20, 2| and 22 in which the bars or arms associated with the apparatus are slidabl'y' retained, these last named members of the device being designated in the drawings by the reference numerals 23, 24, 25 and 26' respectively. The cylindrically shaped radially extending arms or bars are situated to rotate in a horizontal plane, and in the specific form illustrated, the same are connected by means of independent fiat joining members 21 and 28. Member 21 connects the bars 23 and 25 and likewise member 28 joins bars 24 and 26, so that the oppositely disposed bars move as one piece. The overall length of bar 23, joining member 21 and bar 25 is the same as the corresponding independent bars and joining member at right angles to it. The position of the bars 23, 24, 25 and 26 with respect to the revoluble casing I5 is determined by means of an eccentric mechanism which includes connecting rods 29 and 30, which have a common fixed pivot point or support 3| at the end of an extending plate 32 situated in an offset position to the axis of rotation of the casing upon the upper end of the stationary shaft l2, Fig. 1. The opposite ends of the rods 29 and 30 respectively are pivotally joined or linked to the two separate reciprocally movable bar joining membars 28 and 21, as designated in the drawings at 33'and 34. By reason of this arrangement of parts, the bars 2325, 24--26 reciprocate as well as rotate with the casing I5 during the operation of the device.

In passing through the gate, or turnstile, the operator, in this instance, moves the most extended arm 23 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 5), the casing [5 moving simultaneously therewith through a quarter of a revolution of the apparatus. By reason of the operation of the eccentric mechanism, the arm 26 moves into the extended position previously occupied by arm 23, the same movement also taking place for the re-, maining arms 25 and 24 during the course of a complete revolution of the device. The turnstile arms or bars are consequently successively urged intoa position of maximum horizontal extension during rotation of the casing. Regardless of the quarter position of the revoluble casing l5, the reciprocally movable arms of the same will assume the proper degree of extension therefrom, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and '7, under control of the eccentric mechanism.

A cover plate 35, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, is fastened by means of screws or otherwise to the top of the casingmember [5. The upper surface of the plate 35 is provided with a number of radially spaced upward extending lugs 36, 31, 38 and 39, which serve the purpose of tripping a counting lever every quarter turn of the apparatus, as hereinafter more specifically described.

The lower portion or base of the casing I5 is constructed to include a ratchet gear 40 which, in connection with a pivotally mounted pawl 4 I, Fig. 2, permits the rotation of the apparatus in a clockwise direction only. A plurality of positioning rollers 42, 43, 44 and 45 project from the casing below the ratchet gear 40 and operate in association with a spring actuated pivotally mounted arm 46 to insure that the revoluble casing 15 of the turnstile is automatically urged into a correct quarter movement location in which one of the bars assumes an extended operative position. A gear 41 is mounted below the positioning rollers, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more specifically described. A plurality of lugs are located on the bottom of the gear 41, the same being designated in the drawings at 48, 49, 59 and 5i. A pivotally positioned lever, one end of which extends through an opening in the wall of the lower housing member [6, permits the attendant of the turnstile, or gate, to look the revoluble casing [5 in a stationary -position when desired, the interior end of the lever cooperating with one of the lugs 48, 49, 50 and 5| to accomplish this purpose. A counting mechanism 53, Fig. 1, is located in a central position on the top of the upper housing member H, the mechanism having a movable arm 54 extending through a slotted opening in the housing. The arm 54 of the counter rests upon the surface of the cover plate 35 for the casing 15 and is tripped by the lugs 36, 3'1, 38 and 39 on the same during the course of revolution of the apparatus.

With particular reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the mechanism forming the speed regulator for the apparatus is clearly indicated, the same being preferably adapted to be inclosed within a closed cylindrically shaped housing member 55, which is securely located within the lower portion of the stationary apparatus housing member IS. The speed regulator proper comprises two pivotally mounted braking weights indicated at 56 and 51 having suitable friction linings along their circumferential surfaces, which are adapted to contact with the interior wall of the housing during the operation of the device. The weights are positioned on a rotatable plate 58 in the lower portion of the housing 55, the plate being moved by means of a shaft 59 which is integrally associated with the same. The shaft extends out of the stationary casing 55 and has a gear 60 thereon which meshes with the gear 41 of the revoluble casing mechanism as indicated at 6| in Fig. 2 of the drawings. A slide bar 62 is located across the plate 58 for guiding the free ends of the movable brake weights thereon. Because of the mechanical advantage attained by the reduction gear ratio, the shaft of the speed regulator is driven at a considerably higher speed than that of the casing IS. The centrifugal action of the brake weights during the rotation of the shaft 59 urges the same against the internal walls of the housing 55, and; consequently, retards the speed of operation of the mechanism so that it is kept below a predetermined maximum rate.

Inasmuch as the inventive concepts herein disclosed may be embodied in other desired forms, various modifications of the illustrated improvements may occur to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope and purview of the invention, as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a revoluble casing member having a plurality of reciprocally movable bars extending therefrom, said bars being equidistantly spaced in circumferential arrangement about the casing, internal joining members for the oppositely disposed exterior bars of the casing, and an eocentric mechanism including connecting links to the joining members for the bars whereby the external extension of the same is varied responsive to the movement of the casing member.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a revoluble casing member, a plurality of reciprocally operable horizontal bars extending in uniformly spaced radial arrangement from the casing, a joining member for each oppositely disposed pair of the casing bars, a stationary eccentric arm within the revoluble casing, a plurality of link members for pivotally connecting each bar joining member to the stationary eccentric arm whereby the bars are successively urged into a position of maximum horizontal extension during the rotation of the casing.

3. A turnstile apparatus comprising a. revoluble casing, a plurality of reciprocally operable horizontal bars extending in uniformly spaced radial arrangement from the casing, an internal joining member for each oppositely disposed pair of casing bars, and mechanism for separately controlling the reciprocating motion of each of the joining members so that the bars are successively urged into a position of maximum horizontal extension during rotation of the casing.

4. A turnstile apparatus comprising a revoluble casing, a plurality of reciprocally operable bars adapted to extend from said casing, connecting means for each oppositely disposed pair of bars, and an eccentric mechanism joined to each of the said bar connecting means whereby the bars are successively urged into a position of maximum extension during rotation of the casing.

5. A turnstile apparatus comprising a revoluble casing, aiplurality of reciprocally operable horizontal bars extending in uniformly spaced radial arrangement from the casing, a joining member for each oppositely disposed pair of casing bars, a stationary arm having a pivot support eccentric to the axis of rotation of said casing, and a plurality of link members pivotally mounted at the eccentric support of the stationary arm, each of said link members being connected to one of the bar joining members so that the external extension of the bars is varied responsive to the movement of the casing.

WILLIAM J. KENNEDY. 

